Private dining room

Push past the orthodoxies at Fitzroy’s Bar Liberty, where spirit infuses everything from the playlists to the legacy of cheesy, peppery dishes.

There’s a lot to like at The Dining Room, but somehow it manages to mask complex and assured cooking behind decisions that strip it of the magic.

A first look at good-looking Harriot, which channels new-wave European bistros and makes magic with overlooked ingredients.

Akti, meaning coast in Greek, is your port of call for charcoal-grilled kontosouvli skewers and bubbling saganaki on the Woolloomooloo Finger Wharf.

Winter time means hot pot, so Master Cow is a welcome arrival as it brings bubbling broths, a self-serve sauce bar and DIY fun.

Ormeggio chef Alessandro Pavoni’s Manly venture has a bar, cafe-gelateria and restaurant, Cibaria, serving exciting, saucy carbs and scorched treats.

Up-and-coming chef Ahana Dutt offers an inviting crash course in Bengali cuisine at Kolkata Social.

Red Cliff is a sensory assault and heartfelt celebration of China’s spiciest cuisines.

Beloved family-run restaurant The Malaya has served Sydney since 1963. Now it’s opened slick new digs near Circular Quay.

Swish suburban crowd-pleaser.